Lawyers say Alabama death row inmate mentally incompetent

By Associated Press | March 12, 2018 at 6:07 pmUPDATED: March 12, 2018 at 6:56 pm

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Lawyers on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block the upcoming execution of an Alabama inmate who they say was mentally ill when he moved to fire his lawyers and drop his appeals.

Michael Eggers is scheduled to be executed Thursday for the 2000 choking death of Bennie Francis Murray, his boss at a traveling carnival concession business. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in December upheld a district court ruling that Eggers was competent when he made a decision to fire his lawyers and drop his appeals.

Attorneys wrote Monday that Eggers is severely mentally ill and wrongly believes he is the subject of a government conspiracy involving multiple people “seeking revenge” on him.

Attorneys said Eggers has asked to be executed on nine separate occasions because he becomes frustrated that appointed lawyers won’t litigate his case in a way to try to prove that his delusions are real.

“We have a mentally ill death-sentenced inmate using Alabama’s system as his method of suicide because he cannot get anyone to believe that his delusions are not delusions,” attorneys wrote.